Parker GH receiver
 

Was wondering if anyone could provide information about this engraving style and who might have done the work. It’s a 16 gauge damascus GH built in 1900. Thanks - Ron

Left side

nice......charlie

That GH is likely from a period when several thousand Parkers were produced per year so it is most likely the work of one of the 'journeyman' engravers in the engraving shop and not at all likely that a master engraver or head engraver did the work.

But it is a very nice example of a GH nonetheless.





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What Dean said.

I am a big fan of g grades and yours is a great example

Ron, your GH (Grade 2) engraving seems very unusual. The zig-zag pattern around the border of your frame is typical of engraving seen on lower Grade 0 guns of that era. The typical GH border engraving, for lack of a better term was a wave pattern which is there on your frame bordering the engraving that radiates out from your bolsters. Also, to my eyes it looks like that zig-zag border engraving was done directly over the wave pattern which, coming from the factory would be highly unusual and probably unlikely. I've never seen this border pattern on a GH before but I haven't examined as many as others have.

Yeah, that is different.
The walked border around the breech like that on GH grade guns is pretty typical.

But having the walked border AND a knick & dot border on the sides and bottom is pretty unusual.

Could have been a gun that started out being engraved like a VH and then was “changed” to GH in process. Who knows.

We should all take a look again at Tom Hawkins' GH 16 gauge on the 0-frame with the 'unique' (for the grade) roundel engraving - Spring 2019 Issue "Transformation to a Favorite" with the same graver walk border.





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Thanks Dean -- good find. That gun also has the same birds depicted -- do you know what species they are supposed to be? They look like turtles walking on their hind legs -- what's that about?

just posting to show how an iphone can be used to show detail -- can zoom in even farther -- amazing clarity

I think they were supposed to be some species of quail or grouse, but certainly not bobwhite or ruffed grouse. Definitely not turtles though, although you make a good point that they look like turtles walking upright...






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I am not sure but is that what the extinct flying turnip looks like on the ground.

I love that gun!

There were clearly a LOT of odd looking, and now extinct, species of game in the Meriden area at that time.

I’m pretty sure the flying turnips are supposed to be ducks. The closest looking game bird species that I can find to the walking turtles is the chucker. The engravers must have been going by some kind of pattern because that same bird is on more than one Parker. I took a pic of another example I found in TPS.

Flying turnips and walking turtles ... What gives?

You’d think they could have done better.

Unidentified birds
 

Based on the time period they could be prairie chickens.

You could right: Gun, greater prairie chicken, chucker

Walking turtle

I really like the stylization of early Parker engraving. I know we kid about it, but it is really not intended to be realistic, or even naturalistic (nor did Picasso see people as flounders). I'm sure they are meant to represent Prairie Chickens, as there were still good numbers of them, even if not in New England (the Heath Hen was either gone or nearly so by then). What they really are is adornment on the frame by a craftsman from the long past. No CNC machines here! No Banknote or Bulino engraving -- thankfully!

Heath hen possibly?

Me too, and as I alluded in my brief editorial at the end of the article, Tom outbid me on that GH on the GB auction. I apparently didn’t love it enough... or quickly enough.





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Stylized for sure but every one I’ve seen has that dark area on its neck and on its back. And none of them have tails. If they were just personal interpretations of birds they would not all be so similar. They were meant to represent some specific species IMHO.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101131006

Check out the floor plate -- almost identical birds down to the three lines on the wings

“looking back birds”
 

Found some interesting stuff in TPS. The text is from p. 224 Vol 1. The other two pictures can be found on p. 270.

Could that gun be what would be called a Friday afternoon gun ? The engraver did a little extra work on the gun rather start another another late Friday .

The standard border engraving for a GH of that period is illustrated here... which, I'm sure takes a bit more time than a simple 'graver walk' border. But then, the subject gun appears o have both, one over the other, so who knows what happened there...?


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Herstal FN, used a graduated engraving system. Apprentices cut borders and light scroll, journeymen more complicated scrolls and scenes and Master engravers the really expensive guns. But it was not out of the ordinary to find all three grades of engravers had worked on one gun with the Master sometimes taking the credit. I wonder if someone of Goughs talent sometime just cut the roundel scenes while others did the repetitious work

My mother had a speckled hen
It laid behind the door
And every day it laid three eggs
On Sunday it laid four

Guinea Fowl
https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/Locati...onal_Park.html

I always thought those birds looked more like guineas than anything else.

I bought a beautiful set of 26" 20-gauge Damascus barrels to fit to one of my 0-frame GH guns with nice 26" 16 ga. Damascus. They are so close that I know it will not take much to fit them very nicely. The big problem will be the doll's head. As you can see someone attempted to fit this set to another gun prior to my buying them. difficult but not impossible.


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Very nice! I have an extra dolls head for a 1 frame and it is yours if you want it.

Thanks very much Mills.

I’ll shoot you a PM

Gh 20 ga Damascus
 

20ga gh Damascus 1919 yr
My first upload

Very nice!

I have an 1892 GHE grade that was blued many many decades ago. I would love to make the Damascus pattern stand out like the above photos. I imagine all I have to do is remove the bluing. But how then can I protect it from oxidation? Just keep it oiled? Use the Sweet Shooter product?
I'd also like to brighten up the receiver without threatening the engravings. Any suggestions on how?
Thx

Roberto, take a look at this thread. Some of us have used the services of Breck Gorman with excellent results.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...+gorman&page=2





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Thx Dean.... what is the approx cost Breck charges for doing this job to the Damascus barrels?

I can’t speak for Breck - some barrels need more prep than others while others don’t need so much.
I would suggest you contact Breck and get a quote from him.
He’s a nice guy and a straight shooter and easy to talk with.
Shoot him a Private Message from this forum.





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